Verizon's mobile hotspot plan allows users, for an extra $20 option on top of their data plan, to share their mobile 3G service with up to five WiFi devices (such as an iPad, iPod touch, MacBook, or any other WiFi device).

The iPhone 4 tethering plan has its own 2GB monthly cap, according to the report, with each additional gigabyte costing another $20. Previous Verizon tethering plans cost $30 but delivered 5GB of data, in addition to the user's data plan. That means the unlimited plan with tethering will cost a total of $50, with 2GB for tethering and unlimited use of mobile data.

AT&T's $20 tethering plan currently only supports USB or Bluetooth tethering to a single device at once, and rather than offering a separate data pool, the plan counts use against the user's plan. That means the 2GB data plan with tethering costs $45 total, but still only offers 2GB of data per month.

Unlimited data

Verizon earlier announced that its new CDMA iPhone 4 would only be offered with an unlimited data plan costing $30, with no option for a limited use data plan as the company now allows its current smartphone users to choose.

In the future, Verizon says it will phase out the unlimited data plan, following AT&T toward tiered service plans. It has not detailed when it will do this, nor how much it will charge.

AT&T also announced earlier this month that it would be simplifying its texting plans to two options: 1000 messages for $10, or unlimited texts for $20.

Uhm...Verizon....none of your pricing announcements have convinced me to jump over to you. You need lower prices than AT&T if I'm going to go to a slower network and lose concurrent voice/data.

Unfortunately, Verizon doesn't care about you, nor me, who needs a SIM slot for international travel. Verizon is too busy caring about the 10+ million who will come over or upgrade to an iPhone 4 on their network because they want better connectivity, have corporate accounts or hate AT&T for whatever reason.

Actually, although it may be temporary, if you were to buy the iPhone 4 on Verizon and agree to a new 2 year contract, you are LOCKED IN for that 2 year period, at unlimited data. So it's only a temporary window to sign up for the service, but once you have it, you have it for the duration of your contract. They can't just take it away.

Which is fine for me. I plan on continuing with my same plan (I currently have the $30 data plan for my BlackBerry Storm2 on Verizon) and signing a new agreement for the iPhone. By the time my contract is up, LTE will be in full swing and I can move to that new platform.

Geez. After putting up with people complaining about how bad the AT&T network was and how much better Verizon is, we're also going to have to listen to people complain about the pricing, too?

If, as has been claimed, millions of people see the AT&T network as inferior due to dropped calls, then that should be plenty to get them to switch to Verizon. Lower prices shouldn't be necessary.

I agree. Those that where kicking and screaming (i.e. whining) about how horrible AT&T is and how wonderful Verizon is are suddenly backpedaling their preaching? Total absolute hypocrites.

What Verizon is doing comes to no surprise whatsoever. Cry me a river from hearing their little bubbles bursting.

Why don't all the whiners pool their money together, build their own cellular network and do as they please? Considering the number of whiners that are raising a stink about it, they should have the money to do it

I don't see what the complaining is about. Aren't these the same rates they offer other smartphones? This is Verizon we're talking about here. It wouldn't surprise me if they charge an extra 3 bucks for visual voicemail like they do for other phones.